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AT&T adds Carrboro, N.C., to its growing list of 1 Gig communities

AT&T (NYSE: T) has added the North Carolina town of Carrboro as the latest target where it will deliver its GigaPower 1 Gbps fiber to the home (FTTH) network service after ratifying an agreement with local town officials.

Like the recent pact in Winston-Salem, this agreement stems from the North Carolina Next Generation Network (NCNGN) initiative. NCNGN consists of six cities, four universities and local business leaders working to encourage development of high-speed broadband networks in the state.

Under its plan, the service provider will outline "potential" fiber deployments to bring FTTH service to parts of Carrboro.

"It is exciting that Carrboro has the opportunity to partner with AT&T GigaPower initiative. The state-of-the-art technology that this network delivers will help both residents and businesses," said Mayor Lydia Lavelle in a release. "In addition, I am pleased that this service will be extended to community centers and other public gathering spaces to provide access for our diverse community."

Outside of Carrboro, AT&T has gotten necessary approvals via the NCNGN to bring its GigaPower service to five other North Carolina cities, including Cary, Chapel Hill, Durham, Raleigh and Winston-Salem.

AT&T said that specific locations, availability and pricing will be announced at a later date.

However, AT&T will likely follow the same GigaPower pricing plans it has implemented in Austin, Texas, where it is currently offering symmetrical 300 Mbps speeds, with plans to upgrade users to 1 Gbps this year. In Austin, the fiber-based broadband service is $70 a month or $100 per month if it is bundled with U-verse voice service. Other options include a $120 per month package with the U200 TV package with HBO, and $150 per month with U200 TV with HBO and U-verse Voice Unlimited service.

One of the caveats is that eligible subscribers have to agree to sign a one-year contract that could result in an early termination fee of up to $348, according to the AT&T website.

AT&T is hardly alone in its desire to bring FTTH to North Carolina. Google Fiber (NASDAQ: GOOG) announced an initiative earlier this year to bring its 1 Gbps platform and video service bundles to an additional nine metro markets and up to 34 cities. That list includes Raleigh-Durham, Carrboro, Cary, Chapel Hill, Garner and Morrisville.

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